Author: trex

Spotlight on Peer Support

Posted on | by trex

Written by Bailey Patterson

This Disability Pride Month, we are shining a spotlight on peer support! Within the mental health community, it is widely understood that lived experience is a valuable asset. People who are experiencing a crisis or need mental health support may seek out the help of doctors or other professionals, but, increasingly, this is not the only option available. 

Many organizations are choosing to build systems of support focused on connecting people with mental health conditions to their peers with lived experience. The philosophy of this model of care centers around the leadership of people with lived experience of mental health conditions. These individuals are valuable due to their first-hand knowledge of what others in similar situations may need. Through their expertise in their own lives, they are able to connect with people seeking support in deep and meaningful ways. One important feature of this approach is the emphasis of a lack of hierarchy between someone providing and receiving care. Many times, professionals such as doctors, therapists, and social workers are viewed as being in positions of authority over their patients. They follow policies and procedures that may require them to refer their client to care that the client may not have consented to. In a peer support model, this breaks down that barrier. 

two people holding hands and laughing, one of them uses a cane for mobility, another uses a power wheelchair

One organization championing this approach is Project LETS. Project LETS’ mission is “[to] build peer support collectives, lead political education, develop new knowledge and language around mental distress, organize and advocate for the liberation of our community members globally, and create innovative, peer-led, alternatives to our current mental health system.” To this effort, Project LETS has satellite programs in universities and high schools all over the country where people with lived experience of psychiatric disability are trained to provide peer support. Additionally, Project LETS has an online form where individuals who need support can be matched with a peer for support on a rolling basis. 

Project LETS identifies peer support as one of their core values and states, “People who have lived experience with mental illness, disability, trauma, and/or neurodivergence can offer a specific, unique, culturally and socially responsive, and accessible type of mental health care (known as peer support). We do not believe that peer support happens on a hierarchical level — between someone who is ‘recovered’ and someone who is ‘still sick.’” 

four people at a table speaking to each other. one is speaking while the other three are listening

There is evidence to support this philosophy. One systematic review of peer support for young people with anxiety and depression concluded that “Altogether, the available evidence suggests that peer work is a safe, effective, flexible and cost-effective intervention for adults, which promotes hope, empowerment, patient activation, and self-efficacy, and reduces hospitalisations.” All this considered, peer support is part of the future of effective and liberating crisis care for people with psychiatric disabilities. 

To learn more about peer support visit these resources:

The effectiveness of peer support from a person with lived experience of mental health challenges for young people with anxiety and depression: a systematic review

When There’s a Crisis, Call a Peer by The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Project LETS Peer Support Webpage 

What are mad maps?

What are Mad Maps? 

Posted on | by trex

Written by Bailey Patterson

Mad Maps are a crisis intervention and personal expression tool created by and for people with lived experience of psychiatric disability. Mad Maps are a way to externalize elements that affect someone in a crisis state and can act as a guide for their future self who might need some grounding. They include things that give the person who created them joy and a road to feeling better.

Mad Maps were created by the Icarus Project. The Icarus Project was a collection of peer support networks and advocacy groups made up of people who identify as Mad, mentally ill, and/or neurodivergent. This group eventually evolved into the Fireweed Collective, which it is known as today. 

Mad Maps are intended to be a more personal alternative to traditional crisis plans. In The Icarus Project’s guidebook, “Madness and Oppression: Paths to Personal Transformation & Collective Liberation”,  readers who intend to create Mad Maps are asked to think deeply about the types of oppression they experienced and how that oppression affected them and their mental wellbeing. This guidebook encourages readers to connect ways to manage and dismantle oppression through coping methods. Through this, Mad Maps acknowledge the systemic factors that lead to crisis and distress within individuals. 

scan of someone's mad map. on the left, there is original artwork with a sentence, "how do you mend a broken heart?....." in the middle, there are things the person is worried about (not being allowed to express themself, not feeling loved, etc.), on the right says "self love!" with drawings that make them happy
Image from Madness & Oppression, Paths to Personal Transformation and & Collective Liberation: A Mad Maps Guide by The Icarus Project entitled “IMad Maps In Process image courtesy of Sacramento Icarus Project”

How to Make a Mad Map:

The medium for Mad Maps can be as traditional or as expansive as you choose. A map can be created with pencil and paper, an online document, with collage, in a zine, in a sculpture, or other mediums. 

The actual elements of a Mad Map can include anything but typically include information that would be good to have accessible in a crisis or state of distress. 

These elements might include daily routines that are useful to your mental health, signs that a crisis might be coming on, and your wishes for friends and family for how they can support you at this time. 

Practical Information to Include

For this information to be helpful, it is important to add details. You might want to include: 

  • Names and phone numbers of support people, 
  • Specific medications or interventions you consent to and those you would not consent to
  • Recipes for foods that are easy to manage when experiencing a crisis

These pieces of information can act as a lifeline if you need direction and specific help. 

Other Things to Include

Map Maps should also include sources of joy and inspiration that have been helpful to you in the past. This could include:

  • Names of your favorite songs
  • Shows and movies you like to watch
  • Quotes
  • Pictures of pets and friends
  • Anything that helps you navigate a difficult state 

All of these elements can be connected visually or in any way that makes sense to you. This is your roadmap for navigating your own body-mind, so make sure to make it personal, easy to use, and something you would want to use. 

Everyone is constantly evolving and changing, so leave space on your Mad Map to add new things as time goes on. Over time, you will learn new skills and find new sources of joy you might want to include in your map. 

Overall, make sure that your map is true to you and helpful in the ways that you need. Modify, add on, or rewrite the narrative to suit you.  

For more information and inspiration, check out these additional resources and guides about Mad Mapping:

Fireweed Collective Madness and Oppression Guide

Icarus Project – Mapping Our Madness

people with disabilities officially classified as a population experiencing health disparities

People with disabilities officially classified as a population experiencing health disparities

Posted on | by trex

Written by Eliott Hamilton, Student Informatician

In September 2023, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) officially classified people with disabilities as a population experiencing health disparities. This decision is a game changer for disability-inclusive research and highlights the pressing need to better understand and address the unique healthcare obstacles individuals with disabilities face.

What are Health Disparities?

A health disparity is a “health difference that adversely affects disadvantaged populations in comparison to a reference population, based on one or more health outcomes. All populations with health disparities are socially disadvantaged due in part to being subject to racist or discriminatory acts and are underserved in health care.”

Disparities in health outcomes are categorized as:

  • A higher likelihood of disease, an earlier onset of disease, or a more aggressive progression of disease
  • Increased mortality rates with certain health conditions, including premature mortality
  • Greater global burden of disease (GBD)
  • Lower outcomes on self-reported data tracking day-to-day functioning and symptom collections

For people with disabilities, health disparities can vary as widely as disabilities themselves, but many people within the disability community share experiences, like health conditions not taken seriously, poorer mental health, and reduced life expectancy due to limited treatment options.

What does NIMHD’s decision mean for people with disabilities?

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)’s decision to recognize and research people with disabilities as a population that experiences health disparities is significant for several reasons: 

Recognition of Unique Challenges: People with disabilities often face unique health challenges related to their disabilities. These challenges can include higher rates of certain health conditions, barriers to accessing healthcare, and disparities in health outcomes. Recognizing disability as a category for health disparities research acknowledges the specific needs and experiences of this population.

Inclusivity in Research: By designating people with disabilities as a population with health disparities, the NIH is highlighting the importance of inclusivity in research. It emphasizes the need to include individuals with disabilities in health studies to better understand their health status, identify disparities, and develop interventions that address their specific needs.

Promoting Health Equity: The designation demonstrates the commitment to promoting health equity for all populations, including those with disabilities. It acknowledges disparities in health outcomes and healthcare access exist within the disability community and emphasizes the importance of addressing these inequities.

Policy Implications: The recognition of people with disabilities as a population with health disparities can have implications for policy development and resource allocation. It may lead to focused initiatives, interventions, and policies directed at improving the health and well-being of people with disabilities, thereby reducing disparities.

Advocacy and Awareness: The designation helps raise awareness about the unique health challenges faced by people with disabilities, fostering advocacy for their rights and healthcare needs. It encourages a broader understanding of health disparities beyond traditional demographic categories, recognizing disability as a significant factor

What Are the Future Implications?

With this decision to acknowledge people with disabilities as a researchable population, the NIMHD is specifically focusing on the need for additional, more inclusive research. Alongside this designation, the NIMHD announced new research funding designated to disability healthcare equity – incentivizing researchers to address unique health disparities the disability community faces.

In addition to understanding health outcomes specific to the disability community, funding research to address disability healthcare equity is the first step in supporting inclusive research in healthcare. Future studies by the NIMHD will likely incorporate a more accurately diverse representation of the general population. 

Representation of people with diverse disabilities in health disparities research leads to a better understanding of unique health needs, challenges disabled people face within their healthcare, and the wide range of disparities the community deals with daily.

Stigma Silenced: Stories Spoken, A Mental Health Podcast is coming soon!

Posted on | by trex

Written by Bailey Patterson, Student Informatician

We are so excited to share the stories of those who have experienced stigma related to a mental health condition. 

The idea of a highly stigmatized story in the world of mental health disability is one of interest. In the past decade, leaps and bounds have been made in terms of speaking more openly about mental health. Nowadays, schools, businesses, and communities across the country are more aware of terms like “mental health days”, “stressors”, “depression”, and “anxiety”. This type of awareness makes discussing mental health commonplace and opens a new world of acceptance for people who experience things like anxiety and depression in their daily lives. 

However, the mainstream mental health awareness movement has left behind a large group of people. It is no secret that highly stigmatized mental health disabilities have not received the same much needed acceptance in order to reduce the marginalization the people with these disabilities experience. People diagnosed with schizophrenia, personality disorders, bipolar disorders, psychotic disorders, OCD, dissociative disorders, people who have experienced involuntary commitment, and more have stories that have been pushed into the shadows of larger conversations. 

This podcast is where we want to expand the scope of the mental health awareness conversation. This podcast seeks to highlight and center conversations about these highly stigmatized disabilities by bringing people with lived experiences to the forefront. We want to create a space where people with highly stigmatized diagnoses can speak honestly and openly about themselves, their experiences with their condition be it positive and/or negative, the treatment, stigmatization, systemic barriers and violence, and marginalization they face due to their disability and how this affects them overall as human beings. 

The road to a liberatory future for all people with mental health disabilities is long. Many systemic and interpersonal factors weave together to create the specific type marginalization this group faces. This podcast and the conversations it highlights will only be one step in the right direction, but it is with hope that the barriers and oppressions discussed in these conversations will inspire broader action that this podcast is made. It is also our hope to capture and share disabled joy. Both of these elements are part of the whole of the disabled identity, which we hope to give space and power to in Stigma Silenced: A Mental Health Podcast. 

Check out the Sphere website to listen to new episodes as they become available.

Minority Stress & LGBTQIA2S+ Mental Health

Posted on | by trex

Written by Eliott Hamilton, Student Informatician

Terms to Know

  • LGBTQIA2S+ – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, + (representing all other Queer & Trans identities not represented in the acronym
  • Heterosexism – prejudice against any non-heterosexual form of behavior, relationship, or community, particularly the denigration of lesbians, gay men, and those who are bisexual or transgender.
  • GSRM – Gender, Sexual, & Romantic Minorities
  • Transgender – An adjective describing a person who does not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth
  • Cisgender – An adjective describing a person who does identify with the gender they were assigned at birth
  • Nonbinary – An adjective describing anyone who identifies as a gender outside of the man/woman binary. This term can be used as an individual identity or as an umbrella term for many gender identities that do not fall within the gender binary.
  • Marginalization – The process through which an individual or group with distinctive qualities becomes identified as one that is not accepted fully into the larger group.
  • Multiply Marginalized – An adjective describing a person who is a part of two or more marginalized groups.
  • BIPOC – Black, Indigenous, & people of color
  • AAPI – Asian American and Pacific Islanders

What is Minority Stress Theory?

Minority Stress Theory describes the additional stress that members of marginalized communities experience due to stigma.

Stigma and Minority Stress

Stigmatization is driven by imbalances in social, economic, and political power. It also furthers these imbalances by limiting opportunities for stigmatized groups while reducing barriers for socially dominant group.

The Process of Stigma: 1. Labeling: Human differences are identified and labeled. 2. Stereotyping: Labeled differences are linked to undesirable characteristics within the dominant culture. 3. “Othering:” Stigmatized groups and individuals are separated out from the rest of society, creating an “us vs. them” mentality. 4. Discrimination: “Othered” groups and individuals experience discrimination which leads to unequal access to resources.

How is minority stress different?

Minority stress is additional stress that adds to the regular stressors everyone faces. Regular stressors, such as applying for jobs or looking for housing, are also made worse by minority stress.

Minority Stress and Mental Health

People from the LGBTQIA2S+ community are more likely to experience harassment, bullying, discrimination, and even violent hate crimes, such as assault, than cisgender and heterosexual people. Experiencing and witnessing discrimination related to LGBTQIA2S+ identity can lead to feelings of isolation and fear.

LGBTQIA2S+ youth are exposed to harmful rhetoric about their identities through peers, media, and sometimes, family, leading to low self-esteem and internalized homophobia & transphobia.

These experiences lead to hyper-vigilance and increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal idealization, harming the overall health of romantic, sexual, and gender diverse communities.

Legislation, Location, and Minority Stress

Minority stress is experienced to different degrees depending on geographic location and dominant cultures. Those living in states or countries where LGBTQIA2S+ identity is highly politicized or criminalized are more likely to be impacted by minority stress.

Support from family, peers, educators, and healthcare providers significantly lowers the risk of mental health impacts and suicidal ideation.

Intersectionality

Multiply marginalized members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, such as people with disabilities, BIPOC, AAPI, Jewish, or Muslim sexual and gender diverse individuals, are more likely to experience minority stress and often experience minority stress for each of their marginalized identities.

Members of the trans & non-binary community are more impacted by minority stress compared to cisgender members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Gender Stress Theory, based on Minority Stress Theory, describes the additional stress that gender diverse communities experience due to stigma.

Healthy Coping Strategies/Minimizing Harm

Minimizing the effects of minority stress is important for the mental and physical health of romantic, sexual, and gender diverse communities. Some healthy coping strategies include:

  • Connect with Others: Minority stress can lead to feelings of isolation and make social settings seem overwhelming. However, staying connected with other members of the community and people you trust is important for mental health. Try socializing with small groups in safe environments or joining a community support group to make new friends.
  • Unplug: Social media and news sources are often flooded with content related to anti-LGBTQIA2S+ legislation, leading to constant exposure to minority stress. Be sure to take intentional breaks from social media and news sources. Try putting your phone on silent and curling up with a good book or spending time in nature.
  • Prioritize your Physical Health: Minority stress can be draining, overwhelming, and takes a toll on physical health over time. Try investing in your health by staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, or moving your body in ways that feel good to you. Trying a new healthy recipe can also be a fun way to invest in your physical health.
  • Find a Creative Outlet: Sometimes words aren’t enough. Try finding a creative way to express yourself, whether that is dancing, painting, or playing an instrument. Creativity can help you process the emotions related to minority stress.
  • Talk to a Professional: Identity based discrimination is challenging to process. Be sure to check in with yourself often, and reach out to a mental health professional for support if you are struggling. Resources can be found through the UK Counseling Center or at libguides.uky.edu/LGBTQ/counseling.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2016.07.003

https://doi.org/10.2174/2210676611666211105120645

https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2019.1591789

https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12856

https://www.apa.org/pi/aids/resources/exchange/2012/04/minority-stress

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.03.012

https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/33691

https://dictionary.apa.org/heterosexism

https://dictionary.apa.org/marginalization